Andrea Donovan Pt. 06

"You mean these people didn't have any phone numbers or addresses after these licenses expired?" I asked.

"NONE of them seemed to" Vic replied, looking at the rest of the driver's licenses.

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch? I mean, they didn't have computer tracking and all that back in the old days" I replied.

"The driver's license numbers would still show up in the system though, Tim, If they had been renewed within the last twenty years. I can understand a few of them, not showing up, but NONE of these do" Vic said incredulously.

I studied John Light's photo within the driver's license more closely now. He was a healthy looking guy with beard and mustache. He also had a rather hard stare, similar to the Buddy Holly guy's driver's license. The license had expired in nineteen fifty three, I noticed.

"What about the birth cert's, what do they tell you?" I asked handing the license back to Vic.

"I don't know yet, they'll take more time for me to unravel" Vic said, shaking his head with some confusion and leaning back in the squeaky chair.

"My guys are here!" I suddenly said, looking out the front windows and heading for the doorway now as Indio and his crew arrived.

"Good morning, Indio ...wow ...Is this the car...? I began to ask as Indio shut off the convertible's engine.

"Yes, Tim, this is the car on the Texaco's calendar, nineteen forty seven Buick Roadmaster, it had been Mrs. Lang's automobile" Indio replied as he proudly got out of the vehicle.

"My God, it's beautiful, Indio" I replied.

Before I could say anything else I noticed two yellow pick-up trucks, pulling a water tanker and a large wheeled air compressor behind them, as they slowly drove into the Texaco's driveway. The trucks each had "Pioneer Construction & Demolition" clearly painted on the sides of their doors in bold red letters. Indio, quickly stepping into the action, directed each of the two vehicles to back-up in front the specific overhead door which was entitled at its top with BRAKES & SHOCKS. The other bay was entitled at its top with TIRES & TUNE-UP. I now noticed a bright yellow Case tractor/backhoe rumbling into the yard and raising a cloud of dust as it did so, "Pioneer Construction & Demolition" clearly painted on its front boom.

Andrea, Ricky and Brenda were soon standing beside me as Vic stared out from within the Texaco's open doorway and observed all of the arriving equipment and sudden activity.

"Looks like it should be quite a show today Honey" Andrea said, looking at all of the vehicles now arriving within the yard.

"We have a front row seat, Andrea Millhouse" I concurred.

"My name isn't Andrea Millhouse, I love you!" she said, kissing me.

"I love you too, wife" I said, pulling her close.

Indio soon introduced the group of us to the rest of his crew. Along with Billy, there was also Kevin and a big guy called Loco.

"My insurance does not cover any of you, my friends, so I must ask you to please stand back and stay within the front foyer of the office while we work. We will make much dust and noise soon and you will want to close the door. I have my phone if you would prefer to remain at home, away from the noise." Indio explained.

It was agreed and Indio soon kept his promise. The giant air compressor began running and soon Billy was running a large concrete saw with water spraying at its base as he began cutting the concrete at the first floor hoist's base. A jack-hammer was soon added to the fray and there was dust emanating from the open bays now. Vic was the first to vacate the property, in haste, followed soon by Ricky, Andrea, Brenda and myself.

By noon we had all returned to a quiet setting as the backhoe lifted out the first floor hoist's inner ram, whereupon it was gently laid to rest horizontally upon some large wooded blocks within the yard. Andrea took photos and soon began taking everyone's orders for Subway sandwiches. A few minutes later Andrea and Brenda left the Texaco and drove off in the BMW. There was now a large pile of gravel within the bays and I could see Billy working with a shovel within the pit where the backhoe had excavated the earth around the first floor hoist's outer casing. Billy continued to dig around the hoist's casing while Indio, Kevin and Loco stood looking into the pit.

Forty minutes later Andrea and Brenda returned with everyone's food. Backing up her BMW to the open bay, she set the food onto the car's trunk lid and alerted everyone that lunch had arrived. It was now high noon exactly I noticed, as I glanced at my phone and walked over to the car. I kissed Andrea as she handed me a sandwich and soda.

"Gentlemen, it's time to eat now!" Andrea said loudly.

We were soon joined by Ricky, Brenda and Vic but Indio and his crew remained standing and looking into the pit where Billy continued digging.

"Guys, let's eat!" I said loudly toward Indio and his guys.

No one within the Texaco even seemed to hear me so I walked to the edge of the open bay door.

"Andrea has sandwiches for everyone, guys" I said a little more subtly.

Indio said nothing, just turned toward me and motioned for me to come near the open pit where Billy had now stopped digging.

"Oh, that's the resvoir for the hydraulic fluid?" I asked, looking down at a two foot square, by three foot long rectangle box within the pit.

I took another bite of my sandwich as Andrea, Vic, Ricky and Brenda now came to the edge of the pit beside me.

"It's a safe" Billy said, leaning on his shovel handle and looking down.

"It's whaaa...?" I asked dumbfounded as I briskly walked around the gravel pile toward the other side of the pit. Looking downward I now noticed the dial and handle upon the safe's door.

"Yup, it's a safe ...what the hell's it doing down there, I wonder?" Loco asked.

"Been there a long time, Amigo" Indio said quietly.

Billy tried to open the safe's door but it wouldn't budge.

An ominous pall now seemed to descend upon the Texaco station's interior. Morbid thoughts now raced through my mind of what the safe could actually contain. No one buries a safe like this, simply to dispose of it, and I knew in my heart that it contained nothing valuable ...and probably nothing good either.

Would Mary know about this, I wondered? I doubted it. She had claimed that she hadn't even possessed any prior knowledge of the first safe that Ricky and I had found, hidden behind the Texaco's false fronted wall within the office, a few days ago. Mary hadn't even been born when her parents had built this station. Never the less, I would have Andrea ask her if she knew anything of this second safe.

Mary was a bit of a spooky character anyway I suddenly decided as I recalled my first meeting with her beneath the Texaco's pavilion with Andrea the other day. Mary had just seemed evasive and intentionally vague about everything that we'd talked to her about...

"(Sigh) ...someone please tell me that there's nothing weird inside that damn safe" I said closing my eyes, my sandwich still held at face level.

No one spoke.

____________(9)___________

More to come...